Sunday, January 25, 2009
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"Against the ruin of the world, there is only one defense -- the creative act."
About Me
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- Apocalypse Mambo
- Bukowski's "A Little Atomic Bomb"
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- Writing Routines
20 comments:
I don't have a specific time that I have to write, I just have to be in the right kind of mood. If I'm not in the mood to write, I cannot produce anything worthwhile. I can't predict when this mood will occur, but it sometimes happens more frequently than at others, and sometimes more-so when I'm in an emotional mess and I need to get it out on paper, but the right mood has to be there.
Also, I have the type of personality that gets distracted VERY easily, so if I want to get anything done, I can't have any distractions, otherwise It will take me an entire day to get something out that I really like.
A third stipulation is that I need music to be playing. It doesn't matter what, but I need to be able to drown out all of the other noises that go on in life.
Generally speaking, I need to be alone in my own space. I don't like people looking over my shoulder or worrying that someone's going to see my rough copy. I need to be comfortable where I am and be able to just spread out and do whatever I want.
Lastly, for stories or anything that's longer, I like to be at my computer. It's easier to go back and change something that needs to be replaced or that I just don't like. When it's something short like a poem, I like to write it out long hand.
Developing a routine (or habit as I like to call it) is super important, and will be even more important after we are not under the schedule of school and deadlined assignments.
The routine itself (one that is created/followed in order to achieve productivity) will eventually become normal. The breaking or cheating of it, will eventually feel abnormal, non-productive, terrible. In other words, routines keep us going.
Because of the guidelines that school assignments have set for me, I have yet to develop my own daily routine such as the writers/artists mentioned. But, I do have a few patterns that I've noticed when creating work: I usually go for a drive (music from my ipod playing) when I need to generate new ideas for projects. When these ideas come to me, I try not to think anymore until I start making something. (The more I think, the less I actually make). Besides, nothing ever turns out the way I initially think, which is the most exciting part about creating. The subconscious is a pretty awesome thing. Getting myself to start the "making" is going to be the reason for me to start a routine. Now (as a student), I start right away because I know I have to meet an upcoming deadline (critique/workshop). I assume it is because I am in class during the day, but I do most of my work/writing at night. I always have a cup of tea next to me and I have to be wearing comfortable clothes. When working on visual projects, I need some kind of noise (music or NPR playing), but for writing, I can't have any noise. As for my writing process, I noticed that after I write a good sentence/paragraph I leave me computer (for only a few seconds) and then continue on. Wierd.
Writing is a bit different for me than most others in the class. Primarily I am a visual artist, and writing is where I go when I feel I need to move away from my visual work. In a way, this is a great thing. In other ways, it is not. If my time wasn't so occupied by visual art, I would probably get a shit-ton more writing done. What I should do is discipline myself and incorporate writing into a daily schedule. I've starting doing so a bit by including some of my writing into art projects. Wouldn't it be great if we could buy hours at the drug store?
Like everything else in life, if I had a real schedule and/or routine, my stress levels would be those of a normal person. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a way to work like that.
Everything about what I do is a mess of organized disorganization. Other than my moods, everything about my life is incredibly manic. I have bursts of energy where I get everything done and have time to relax, and other times I can't even begin to concentrate until the number of hours I have left to hand something in is in the single digits.
Unlike most of the writers who do their best work in the earlier hours of the morning, I'm lucky to be up by noon. I usually do my best writing late at night, sometimes an idea will wake me up and I begin writing in my half-conscious state. I also need to be completely alone and I generally listen to music, unless it becomes entirely too distracting. I try to do some reading before I begin writing, and I pick specific artists to listen to while writing because I've found that this method can sometimes be motivational and the end product is generally better.
Sometimes I think I do have a writing routine and other times I am sure that I don't. I have an inconvenient "routine" which is that if I'm going to write something, I have to sit down and write it in its entirety right then and there, in one session. I can't start something, stop and then go back to it; I've tried and I lose my focus and direction. This isn't a problem in that it prolongs my writing sessions, I'm actually a very quick writer and can bang out a piece in anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. The problem occurs when I need to write something at a certain time and I can't because I'm not in the mood or inspired. When it comes to assignments or writing for the Oracle, I can get away with putting together an actual piece (aside from the research and interviews that obviously must occur ahead of time) the night before it's due. In fact, this is when I usually write my best, under pressure. However, I think I'm going to have to adapt my writing style and find a stable routine that works for me because when I graduate and eventually have a real job, I'm not going to be able to put things off until I "feel like" doing it or am able to put myself under pressure.
One aspect of my writing style that I could see evolving into an effective and concrete routine is that I always have a cup of tea and music playing softly. I think the tea makes the writing process more enjoyable and the music masks any background noise that might otherwise distract me (like my suitemates being obnoxiously loud because they have no responsibilities). Music, always R&B, prevents distraction.
I thought about this a lot over winter break and have decided that in order to find a routine and implicate one that will work, I'm going to start sitting down at random times and just writing. It doesn't matter what I'm writing about or if it's even a required assignment. I think that getting in this habit and practicing will hopefully help me develop the ability to write anything on demand without waiting for the "perfect moment."
Okay, I just wrote the best comment of my life, and I accidentally deleted it.
Take 2.
A writing routine is important because you get in the mindset of your art. Any sort of ritual to help one's art is needed. Like the artist Derek Jeter (sorry Prof Good haha) adjusts and re-adjusts his gloves after every pitch. Every damn pitch, but hey, if adjusting his gloves means a hit and a multi-millionaire contract, then I'd adjust my gloves too. That said, I'm not sure if I have a writing routine. I hate waking up at the ass crack of dawn, and at night, I'd rather lounge around. However I do enjoy writing in public, minus interruptions. Anywhere that's hectic and busy, but not enough to distract me. There's something about the comfort of chaos around me that I'm not a part of. I think for me, what's important is a room. I think why I don't focus as well in my room is because there's a lack of creative energy or chi or something. I'm in a residence hall. It's not a room of my own (Virginia Woolf, anyone?). I hope that as I progress as a writer, I can create my own environment to write. When I have that, I think I'll have nuances like drinking coffee that also sets the tone.
My writing routine is a bit what you used to call "purging" in class. I pretty much just remove all distractions (TV, music, cell phone on silent, etc) and I just sit at my computer and write. I write a large amount very fast in one sitting. I write until I feel like I literally have no more creativity left in my body...or until I run out of time and have to be somewhere.
After my writing binge I walk away from my computer and relax for a while, usually at least a day if I'm writing something creative. Then I'll go back after some time to re-read what I wrote and self-edit. I need to go back with a fresh mind, when I feel like my creativity is restored and my stress levels are low.
A lot of people have mentioned that they need to be in the mood to write as well. I guess that goes for me as well, though if I'm determined, I can pretty much write whenever I want. It just takes a little more forcing. Also, I find that when I'm not in the mood to write and my creative juices aren't necessarily flowing as much, my writing really just isn't as good.
I'm also one of those people who when I have a good idea, I just start sort of writing it in my head. I have to get it either down on paper or on my computer as soon as physically possible. I tend to forget good ideas very easily. So, whenever I spy a good story or creativity seems to strike, that's when I have my best "purging" sessions.
I don't particularly have a set writing routine, and I believe this is why I have problems with most of my writing. I however do believe that having a a prescribed procedure set aside for me to write would be very productive in the way that my work would come across to my readers as much clearer, clean, and not so verbose like it is now, overall, more digestible.
There are some things that I MUST do to prepare my self to begin writing, such as listening to music(this is the number one thing that I do)because music to me is poetic and for some reason I want my work to come off as poetic. Taking a walk to clear my mind of all the other stresses of the world and focus mainly on what I want to write about, begin writing at night, because I feel the world is at peace and I'm at peace with myself as well, and talk to my peers about their opinion about a particular topic I am writing about. Some may say that these things are a writing routine, but I would have to disagree, I just believe these are things that are a way for me to prepare my self mentally to write.
One of the things I love about Journalism, in particular working with Literary Journalism, is it gives you the opportunity to be very creative and its not as rushed as standard Journalism. This is why I am certain that I will eventually come up with a writing routine, and having one will come to my advantage.
No lie, I've been waiting to answer a question like this ever since I entered the world of college education.
My routine (both in writing of the literary kind and the musical kind) always begins with stream-of-consciousness composition in front of the computer. I just let all ideas, thoughts, words, images fall out as they may to the screen in a real no holds barred way. Anything goes. Some people might see that as too dangerous or just plain nuts. But, I believe that if you tear down the proverbial Berlin Wall, you might find a Claudia Schiffer among the David Hasselhoffs (think about it).
Then, when I think I'm finished (which could happen either very quickly or many many hours later), I take a step back and examine what diamonds and coals exactly spilled out of my head. From that point on, it's all about organizing the brilliant parts, the discarding the shitty matter, and making sure everything is in its right place (a coherent discussion for the literary works, a catchy flow and infectious "hook" for the musical works)
Obviously, there are times where stream of consciousness are not utilized, in which I already have a complete idea already dancing around the noggin. But, when the canvas is blank and the reel-by-reel tape still has iron oxide on it, just letting things come out can lead to some real creative breakthroughs once never considered possible.
Before I finally sit down to write any assignment, I do everything else I possibly can first. I make lots of to do lists, which are organized by when things are due, I hang out with friends, complain about all the work I have to do, eat dinner, do laundry, clean my room, organize my desk, shower and then maybe sit down in front of my computer to write. Procrastination is a very bad habit that I have and wish I could change, but have realized is a part of me. When I was younger and had a big test to study for, I would procrastinate as much as I could until dinner time. After that, I could finally lock myself in my room and study- free of any distractions. My mother pointed this out to me before I ever even noticed and would often serve dinner earlier on days I would have to study. (Ridiculous, I know.)
Regardless of anything, I need to have a clear and organized space to work in that is free of any distractions. My writing best comes together after I've brainstormed and written out vague rough drafts, usually in other classes. My writing style is effective, but not one I would recommend. It is a style developed from a mind that is always racing and thinking of what's next. I would love to be able to wake up early and develop a routine, but I have yet been able to do so. Ideally, I would like sit down and have breakfast while reading the paper and then put aside some writing time. While this might be very helpful in getting me in a consistent routine, I am not a morning person and need to come up with another routine... possibly at night.
I don't think I have any routine which helps me to write. I just wait for the right mood to come and fill my head with lots of ideas.
Sometimes when I get distracted and restless I feel like words just don't want to come to me. Then I take my iPod and go for a long walk. It normally helps to clear my mind (I believe it is because of oxygen ^_^).
I normally write at night and always for the last minute. I know it is very bad habit, but my journalism teacher in UK used to tell me, that sometimes brain work better under stress and pressure, so writing stuff when you are on the deadline it's not always a bad idea.
I think that I have more writing habits/routines when I write in my own language. It is easier for me to express myself. When I write in English very often I cannot find the word which would explain my thoughts. I get very distracted with dictionaries and translators (which I hate to use). Imagine that you getting into the flow of writing but suddenly you get stuck on some word. It is really uncomfortable and annoying...
Maybe it will sound funny, but sometimes it is easier for me to record everything I have to say about my subject, listen to it and write down what I said. It is probably because oral part of English language is much easier for me than writing....
Thats the main reason I am in this class of course.
Developing a consistent routine can prove to be a pivotal part of ones writing process. Many people may find it hard to write sufficiently outside their comfort zone, and creating and maintaining a routine may in turn help you to focus more efficiently.
When considering the typical routine I follow when preparing to write, whether it be a school assignment or just jotting my thoughts down for future reference, I find it helpful to eliminate all distractions. As a person who persistently finds himself procrastinating in some way or another, secluding myself from everyone around me seems to be my first step. This for me simply means I either lock myself in my room, or relocate to some place I can commit all my focus on the task at hand. Recently, I have found the library to be the most useful place to go and write, freeing myself from the temptation of watching television.
After I have accomplished freeing my mind from any distraction, I find it necessary to drink at least one cup of coffee. Caffeine seems to be a catalyst for me, and helps wake me up to a point where I can fully commit to what I am writing.
Finally, I feel that it is important to have some sense of direction; and I tend to spend at least some time organizing my notes and getting things in order to be out down on paper.
Lately I've found that almost everything else in my life has a routine to it except my writing. Meals, sleep, showers, etc. are all pretty much around the same time each day. Writing usually falls somewhere in there, and honestly, I like it that way. I like my writing to have a certain degree of spontaneity to it. But that is not to say that when I do pause to write something that it has no structure or organization.
However I've found that most of my serious and/or creative writing is done late at night. After the day is over I suppose I lose some restraint and become able to really focus on what's in my head without having the distractions of everyday life cloud it up. Everything needs to be clean - meaning my room can't be a mess. I need to feel either totally relaxed and clear or totally full of something that just needs to come out in my words. I usually have some soft music playing, a cup of tea, water, an open window.
Other than that I really don't have much of a routine, I guess these things could be called environmental requirements...
I don't really have a specific time that I sit down each day and write, but like Stephen King, there are certain things I do if I'm going to write. For some reason, I always have to have a cup of tea or coffee and I need to be sitting on my bed with my laptop. If I'm sitting at a desk, everything comes out 10 times more awful than it would've had I been sitting on the bed. The room needs to be silent, and if someone calls me or comes in and talks to me while I'm writing, I'm ruined. I'm unable to conjur any more thoughts, and because writing moods are fragile, the person who does this should run because it really makes me angry. Like Liz said, I really have to be in a specific mood to write; it's hard for me to create the environment for words to just come out. Because of this I feel a "routine" would be beneficial. If I knew each day that I had some time set aside to write, the mood might come more often, and I'd probably be saner and a better writer. The day just gets so busy that I don't make time for writing--even though my profession will technically be "writer".
I thought about it for awhile, and i'm sure that I do actually have a writing routine, but because I haven't written anything in quite awhile, I am not sure what it is.
I know that if I go to sit down to write in my journal, or casually write, that I definitely do have a routine. I must be in my room away from distractions (as many of you have said), and I like to sit on my bed or other comfy spot. However, when it comes to writing on my laptop or long pieces of work, I have yet to develop a routine.
Having a routine, even if it is nothing out of the ordinary or complex, is essential to preparing your brain for work. I really like Alyssa's idea of just sitting down and writing at random times to see what my routine really is.
Boy do I need a routine. It seems that what your doing is training your brain to get into a certain mode that it feels inclined, necessary, and required to write whether it likes it or not. My biggest problem seems to be that I can't force myself to write and that forming a routine is the first step towards a cure for that awful laziness. Reading these excerpts has made me see the virtue of routine; that it serves to make not writing an abnormality instead of the norm. It also imposes upon you a lifestyle, since to follow the routine you have to make sacrifices to not break them.
Essentially,it's like a form of muscle memory, in which you repeat the exercise of writing so many times it becomes second nature, and within the confines of that routine it lets you develop at a constant rate. I read that the one thing that all experts at anything have in common, from the Beatles to Bill Gates, is 10,000 hours of practice. Gotta start somewhere.
My routine doesn’t involve the grit to sit at a desk, or even in the same spot outside everyday and pull the words I want as quickly as a few pages in an hour. My routine may not even seem like a routine to some. Instead, the bulk of it is based around my obsessive thinking about how I will write, usually style and language, sometimes for weeks before I actually sit down to write. If I’m not writing (and this goes for both deadline and pleasure writing), I’m often daydreaming of it—in class, at work, when I’m out and about. I deposit story ideas and random thoughts into the writing possibilities bank in my head, or if I can, grab a pen and write it down then. My hand should be stained for the amount of times I have used it as a writing tablet.
Still, when on deadline, especially with hard news stories, I don’t tend to think about the meat of the story until the clock is staring me in the face, ticking away the time until the story is due. For this I must sit down at my computer, usually the night before, sift through note piles and just let it happen. I write/rewrite the story for hours, only leaving it for a few minutes at a time. I find this is how I work best when putting a lot of information into a piece under time constraints.
I write best at night, when I’m alone but with distractions that I provide for myself when I want them—music, other reading, finding people to talk to, either about my writing or nothing in particular. I rarely need peace to be able to write. During my obsessive thinking sessions, I don’t have the privilege of not having distractions, so why change the routine while writing? I embrace music which often gives me ideas, and find that some of my best stuff comes when I need to really buckle down, keep those diversions and make the conscious effort to block them out. In a warped way, I need the noise to create the perfect silence in my head.
I've forgotten who said it, but a man wiser than me once proclaimed, "You can't wait for inspiration to come your way. You have to go after it with a wrench."
I don't really have a writing routine. I believe that, in many circumstances, routines, like lucky charms, are more detrimental than helpful. What if Stefan Sagmeister didn't have a medium-sized cigar to smoke at breakfast, or if C.S. Lewis didn't have a "gossipy, formless book" to read at dinner? Like the baseball player that doesn't have his lucky glove, routines like this cause people to perform with mediocrity unless a detailed set of a rituals are carried out. I believe that one should be able to write anywhere, not only under certain circumstances.
If I have learned anything, it is that I envy those whole can spend their whole day with the focus of writing. I don’t have this luxury of time. While I might someday, I surely do not while I am in college. There are some procedures I do when I write though. First of all, it is most likely occurring between 2 a.m.—4:30 a.m. That is when I always seem to do my best writing. When my mind is somewhat drained and grasping for air. Second, is that there is always music. Depending on what I am writing, my music will suit as background noise and propel me forward into a certain mood or emotion. Those two rules always form the best writing for me. I cannot force myself to write, it always ends up being mindless gibberish if I do— too forced. Third, sometimes a smooth alcoholic beverage such as a white Russian or this somewhat pretentious alcoholic coffee I buy helps me. The alcohol is not a needed element. If you want to write about someone drunk, though, I think it helps. You cannot drink too much. You must not reach intoxication, but rather relaxation. Sometimes our mind needs some help to relax.
To sum this up, yes, I do see an advantage to having a daily routine. If I had one I know I would become a more effective writer and advance my voice much faster. Practice makes perfect as they say. There are just too many distractions in a day for me. There is everyone I live with (a house of around 13 people), whatever is playing on CNN, video games on my PS3 and all sort of pleasurable distractions. It is tough to just sit still and focus on writing at times.
I mostly write really late at night/ early in the morning. I'm always listening to music. I don't let it sit. I usually just write until everything is out and then go to sleep and read it in the morning. I get too distracted if I write during the day. There are usually other people around and things to do.
Obviously there are many different kinds of writing and many of them call for different routines in my life. Most of the writing I do for my classes tends to not follow a routine. I simply get it done when I need to with respect to my deadlines and try to do it in an environment with as few distractions as possible. For some reason I find myself doing most of this sitting up on my bed with whatever notes I need spread out around me.
The other writing, the writing that is usually only done for myself, takes a different set of circumstances. For me to get really meaningful writing work done there are a couple of conditions that I usually need. It's usually best done early in the morning or late at night, either before other people get up or after they all go to bed. It's usually done somewhere comfortable but not too familiar; I've found that sitting in a chair on a porch works best when it's warm. I need to have music playing but it has to be familiar enough for me to ignore it. And, finally, I need an idea that's worth getting excited about.
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